Suppose you are riding on a merry - go - round and you move out to the edge. Why does the rotational rate of the system decrease?
A) There was a net force on the entire system, slowing it down.
B) There was a net torque on the entire system, slowing it down.
C) Angular momentum is conserved and the moment of inertia increased.
D) Angular momentum is conserved and the moment of inertial decreased

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Angular momentum is conserved in a closed system where no external torques are acting. When you move out to the edge of the merry-go-round, the distribution of mass changes, increasing the moment of inertia. Since angular momentum (L = Iω, where I is the moment of inertia and ω is the angular velocity) must be conserved, and the moment of inertia (I) increases, the angular velocity (ω) must decrease to keep the product Iω constant.

Suppose You Are Riding on a Merry - Go -